I don't think that these stories are the best, but they are worth while reading. People who are interested in Russian literature you must read stories written by Bulgakov ('Heart of a Dog'), Gogol ('Dead Souls'), Leo Tolstoy ('War and Peace'). It's easy to find them in Russian. I daresay you can find them in English too (I've never tried). Enjoy reading!
Fantastic book. As good as, if not better, than Captain Blood. Don't pass this up, Sabatini does adventure better than anyone!